"Normal People" star Paul Mescal says his newfound status as a sex-symbol is only "temporary". The 24-year-old, who shot to fame as Connell Waldron on the BBC Three series, said people are holding on to the racy content of the show, something which will pass. "It's very sex forward, obviously. I try not to think about it too much honestly because I don't think it's particularly useful... It's not permanent; it's a temporary thing I think," Mescal told E! News. Recently, the Irish actor received his first Emmy nomination in the category of outstanding lead actor in a limited series for the drama series. Emmy Awards 2020: Netflix Sets New Record with 160 Nominations, HBO Is Second with 107 Nominations

Nominees includes the likes of Hugh Jackman ("Bad Education"), Jeremy Pope ("Hollywood"), Mark Ruffalo ("I Know This Much Is True") and Jeremy Irons ("Watchmen"), and he finds it "surreal" to be nominated with his heroes.

"There's been tons of people that have reached out. The one recently, I think two or three weeks ago, Hugh Jackman reached out and I'm a massive, super fan of him. "He sent the most gorgeous email and now I'm kind of pinching myself that I'm nominated in the same category as him and it just feels really surreal," Mescal added. Emmy Awards 2020: Here’s the Complete List of Nominees of 72nd Edition

Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones have become popular post the success of the series, based on author Sally Rooney's novel of the same name. The series follows the relationship between Marianne Sheridan (Edgar-Jones) and Connell (Mescal), as they navigate adulthood from their final days in secondary school to their undergraduate years at Trinity College Dublin.